By Vetro Verde di Empoli, Empoli
Located in Glasgow, GB
A Vetro Verde glass cat sculpture by Toso et Bagnoli, hand-crafted in the Empoli region of Italy during the 1950s. Executed in rich emerald-green glass, this whimsical feline is among the firm's most celebrated decorative creations and represents the playful innovation of post-war Italian glassmaking.
The sculpture is constructed from three individually worked elements, with the arched body incorporating all four legs and decorated with a spiral trail of controlled internal bubbles suspended within the glass. The expressive head and tall upright tail are expertly hot-applied by hand, while the face is completed with applied white and black glass eyes, a small nose and delicate whiskers, demonstrating the skill of the Empoli artisans.
During the 1950s, Toso et Bagnoli became renowned for producing imaginative animal sculptures and decorative objects in Vetro Verde, the distinctive emerald-green glass for which the Empoli district became internationally recognised. Their work reflected the optimism and creativity of post-war Italian design and was produced alongside collaborations with some of Italy's leading designers, most notably Gio Ponti.
The significance of these whimsical sculptures is reflected by the inclusion of this exact cat model in the permanent collection of the Museo del Vetro di Empoli...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Hand-Crafted Sculptures
